Switching between Campy and Shimano shifting

[NHAero]

How do you do it? In the past month I rode about 285 miles on Shimano 11 speed bikes and 245 miles on my Casati with Campy 10. I keep looking for the thumb lever when I switch back to the Shimano, and push on the brake lever when i switch to the Campy. And of course get the lever behind the brake lever occasionally wrong, upshift on one, downshift on the other.

What's the trick? Do I just need a brain transplant?

Please no need for the "just change the other bikes to Campy" responses. For me, Shimano has better ergos and shifting, but I want to keep the Casati all Italiano.

[hollowgram5]

I go back and forth between sram, shimano, and campy, and that includes etap and mechanical sram.

I have never had an issue jumping between bikes, and my body/mind just sense the lever shape and off I go. It's a muscle memory thing for me based on the bike I'm on that day.

[sg8357]

Being the Paceline, naturally the solution involves an additional bike.

You need a transition bike to clear your brain, equipped with down tube
shifters, indexed is fine.

STI bike, then D/T transition bike, then back to Campag.

Simple as 1,2,3

[thirdgenbird]

You need a transition bike to clear your brain

You are on to something

I can transition from floor shift to column shift or RHD to LHD without thinking about it but if I go between two floor shift manuals with different shift patterns, I catch myself having to think about where reverse is located.

[Spinner]

It's taken me three rides to reacquaint to Shimano after spending the spring riding Campy exclusively. :bike:

I believe both systems work great, however Campy "clicks" when making a shift while Shimano "clunks."

Go figure.

[Bob Ross]

I've mentioned this numerous times both here and Across The Hall, but fwiw, I have one bike each with Campy, Shimano, and SRAM eTap, and *every* time I go for a ride there's that moment of recalibrating your brain, building new neural pathways, and then hoping you don't screw up...and yet still I probably biff a shift once every ride. It's okay.

[Matthew]

I have two Shimano bikes, one Campy. Never had an issue. Muscle memory I guess.

[NHAero]

Or vintage motorcycles. I remember swapping my BMW R80ST with my friend who was riding a Norton Commando, and trying not to shift it wrong. Larger penalty for shifting wrong than on my bikes!


You are on to something

I can transition from floor shift to column shift or RHD to LHD without thinking about it but if I go between two floor shift manuals with different shift patterns, I catch myself having to think about where reverse is located.

[54ny77]

I have one bike with campy, some with sram and some with diff. generations of Shimano.

I try not to overthink it when rotating. And besides, these are def. first world challenges!

And when going up a hill and whiffinng a shift in the wrong direction and at the wrong time, it makes things entertaining!

[jtbadge]

If you have trouble switching between and prefer Shimano, just put Shimano on that Casati. It will be great! No need for purism or elitism.

[mj_michigan]

I agree with the muscle memory comment. Just keep switching bikes, the brain will get it fairly soon.

[Tickdoc]

I’ve rented two shimano equipped bikes in the past three years and can attest the ghost thumb is real. Solution is easy, just make sure all your bikes are campy.:)

[4151zero]

You are on to something

I can transition from floor shift to column shift or RHD to LHD without thinking about it but if I go between two floor shift manuals with different shift patterns, I catch myself having to think about where reverse is located.

What about UK roadways vs Rest of the World roadways!

Seriously, whether by bicycle, moto, or in a cage... that would mess me up

I do have one da9000,and etap and a campy bike in rotation and somehow managed to keep em upright with the rubber side down. Takes a block or two and a couple mis $hift$

[thirdgenbird]

I haven’t driven in a RHD country, only a RHD car in the states. The only thing that has messed me up is the Japanese market right-side turn signal stalk.

[maxim809]

Everyone before as provided the quick answer of "take a moment to recalibrate", which I think is good enough for most situations. That said, if you want to make it work out of the gate as a personal challenge, you need to view your Campy rig and Shimano rig as different "vehicles".

The issue is your mind is classifying both vehicles as "bikes" (which isn't wrong by any means, they are!) As a result, your mind passively lumps the bike muscle memory based on what you last used. This is natural because i's inefficient to store 2 sets of MM profile when the consequences aren't so dire.

It take active energy to believe these are two separate modes of transportation, each requiring different sets of muscle memory to be stored in your brain.

In a manual vs automatic car, or say switching from left-hand drive to right-hand, you don't wanna mess this up. So it starts with convincing yourself that your Campy "bike" and Shimano "bike" are different modes of transportation.

[93KgBike]

You need to play scales before you set off, get in tune. Not sure what that might mean for you exactly, but a brief orienting routine.

[Elefantino]

So it starts with convincing yourself that your Campy "bike" and Shimano "bike" are different modes of transportation.
Think of Campy as a Ferrari. Think of Shimano as a Toyota. I'm not saying which Ferrari or which Toyota. Just work with me here.

You're welcome. :eek:

[kohagen]

What about UK roadways vs Rest of the World roadways!

When driving in the UK or Ireland, sometimes I've tried to shift the door handle. Doesn't work very well.

[R3awak3n]

I go back and forth between sram, shimano, and campy, and that includes etap and mechanical sram.

I have never had an issue jumping between bikes, and my body/mind just sense the lever shape and off I go. It's a muscle memory thing for me based on the bike I'm on that day.

Same. Well, no drop bar shimano bike atm but had one before. I thought sram double shift would screw with my brain. 1 hour later it feels natural. They all work great is what I found. However of course I do have my preferences.


The perfect group for me would be -

Etap 11sp that is 12 speed. Front RD fits bigger tire.
Campagnolo disc ergos.
Some sort of 5 arm nice looking crank.

[pbarry]

Ride more, it will become second nature for you. :)

[NHAero]

The car analogy is the closest for me. We have a Hyundai plug-in hybrid which is an automatic - my first automatic in over 50 years of driving. It's really my wife's car. I have my old Honda Fit and an even older base model Ford Ranger, both 5 speed manual. At this point this year, I doubt I have driven more than 100 miles in the past 2-1/2 months (I drive very little here on Martha's Vineyard, it's easy to get around by bike.) When I get into the Ranger, it's obviously a truck, no problem. But between the Fit and the Hyundai, I'm looking for the clutch in the Hyundai, and sometimes at first forget i have to use the clutch in the Honda.

[thwart]

Think of Campy as a Ferrari. Think of Shimano as a Toyota. I'm not saying which Ferrari or which Toyota. Just work with me here.


Thank you for that.

A morning chuckle is in short supply nowadays. :)

[NHAero]

I've got over 600 miles in during the past month, which is a lot for me, thanks to COVID19!

Ride more, it will become second nature for you. :)

[NHAero]

Today 30 miles on the single speed - looking for thumb buttons, brake levers that moves, virtual paddles :)

[AngryScientist]

Today 30 miles on the single speed - looking for thumb buttons, brake levers that moves, virtual paddles :)

the real issue is when you forget what you're riding on the fixed gear bike, and it reminds you in a big hurry!

[NHAero]

I've been a wuss lately. I don't ride the fixie enough to not worry about exactly that, so playing it safe I'm riding the freewheel side. I have it geared lower because I can coast, so I actually get more high cadence practice than I do with the fixed side.

If it isn't real windy, and I go southeast from my house, it's perfect for a one speed. I rode 30 miles and got under 600 ft of climbing!


the real issue is when you forget what you're riding on the fixed gear bike, and it reminds you in a big hurry!

[zap]

Ha, Shimano to Campy and back and forth is pretty easy.

At one time I had not only Campy and Shimano but also a tandem with Mavic dt shifters and of course a bike with Mavic ZAP.

And can't forget the mtb with SRAM.

But back to the op, every so often when I ride the Trek with Shimano my right thumb is searching for the Campy paddle.

So I guess that means I am Campy dominant.